Collingham could expand by dozens of homes after plans were lodged for a new estate on its south-eastern edge.
Housing developer Andrew Clover Planning and Design Ltd has put forward plans to Newark and Sherwood District Council that could lead to Collingham, just north of Newark, growing by more than 80 homes.
The developer has indicated a patch of land north of Station Road, right next to the village’s train station, could be used for a new estate.
While the proposals at this stage do not confirm exactly how many properties the housebuilder wants to build, its ‘indicative masterplan’ has factored in 83 homes, with access off Station Road.
Documents say the proposed scheme has been kept ‘open and flexible’ at this stage so as not to ‘restrict’ the final number of properties.
But those living in and near the village say Collingham may not be ‘the right location’ for such an expansion.
Councillor Phil Farmer (Con), who represents the village on the authority, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service Collingham was at ‘max capacity’ and there was a feeling it was turning into what felt like a town.
He said: “Collingham probably hasn’t got the transport infrastructure to keep expanding at the rate it’s expanding.
“There’s a number of shops fronting the main road through the village, which attracts parked traffic. Because it’s an old village, with old Victorian and Edwardian houses, the road is very narrow.
“There’s a lot of lorries from agricultural industries. These lorries cause a lot of traffic coming through from both ways, plus parked cars – it can become chaos there on a weekend.
“From my point of view, it’s always wonderful to expand different areas and have homes for people who need them – but I don’t think Collingham is somewhere that needs up to 83 homes.”
Cllr Farmer explained the prospect of the One Earth Solar Farm, which will be built on the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire border, near the village, would also have an impact on Collingham.
He said: “There’s pressure growing from the north, from the solar farm, and that is squeezing people. It’s making people feel like they’re living in a shoebox.
“People move to the village for fresh air – solar farms can impact the feeling you’re no longer in the countryside.
“There’s a feeling we’re surrounded by batteries and solar to the north and then expanding villages where the infrastructure can’t support it.”
Nottinghamshire County Councillor Janette Barlow (Con), who represents the Collingham division on the authority, said the new homes were proposed for a “prime location” near the train station.
She said: “My biggest concern is [the roads]. I have more complaints about the A1133 because of traffic and the volume of traffic. The main street is very busy.
“I don’t think the school has much capacity left. Eighty-three houses is a lot – the infrastructure needs to go in before the houses.”
Cllr Barlow agreed the village was feeling more like a town in recent years.
She said: “It has a great community, but you can see it’s all going to join up. If you look at Bingham and Saxondale [in Rushcliffe], they’re starting to join up.
“[Housing developments] are filling the gaps. Suddenly, places become a town. Collingham has a great community feel at the moment and I sometimes think you can lose that with big developments.”
Documents say that, due to the council not being able to demonstrate a five-year housing supply, consideration needs to be given to whether the scheme’s potential “adverse impacts” are outweighed by its benefits.
Plans acknowledge the risk of surface water flooding to the north of the site but say this has been “fully resolved” within the engineering layout to mitigate the risk.
By Lauren Monaghan, Local Democracy Reporter